Christmas: the Story of Kenosis and Love

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for Christmas Day (The Nativity of the Lord)

St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Brooklyn Center, MN

Friday, December 25, 2020

Today’s Gospel (Luke 2:15-20) is the continuation of Luke’s Christmas story which we started reading from the vigil Mass. To fully understand the story, we have to go back to the beginning of it. Luke tells us that it was when Quirinius was the governor of Syria, and when Caesar Augustus was the king of the world that a census was declared by Caesar Augustus. The two figures were two of the most prominent and powerful persons of the ancient world. Shortly after invoking their names, Luke pulls the rug from under us and said that his story is not primarily about them, but about a dusty couple— Mary and Joseph, who came to Bethlehem to register for the census that Caesar decreed. While they were there, Mary went into labor. Unfortunately, there was no room at the Inn for her to have her baby. They had to make do with what they found. So, Jesus was born in a cave with animals around them. As I said in the vigil Mass homily, the most protected person in the ancient world was Caesar Augustus, but Luke tells us that the true and new Emperor arrives unprotected. He arrives too weak even to raise his own head. The freest person in the ancient world was also Caesar Augustus; but the new King arrives not so free. He was wrapped up in swaddling clothes. The best well-fed person in the ancient world was Caesar Augustus. If he snaps his finger, he will get any sensual pleasure he wanted, and some of us would think that’s what a good life looks like. But the true and new Emperor is not one who is fed, but the one who becomes food for the world, placed in a manger where animals eat. Luke also tells us that at the time the new King was born, there were shepherds in the region who kept the night watching over their flock. To them an angel of the Lord appeared and said, “Do not be afraid, for behold I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord.” After that, Luke says an army of angels also appeared singing and praising God. Although Caesar had the biggest army in the ancient world, Luke is asserting that his army is nothing compared to the army of this Baby King who will fight not with worldly weapons, but with the weapon of love, forgiveness, compassion and non-violence. The Baby King has got a bigger army. 

On this Christmas Day, we read that after ministering to the shepherds, the angels returns to heaven. As for the shepherds, they hurriedly left in search of the Baby King, the Christ and Lord. Upon Seeing the baby lying in a manger, the shepherds testified to the message of the angel, and everyone who heard their testimony, including Mary was mystified by their words. As always with Mary, she pondered all these things in her heart. At the end of their visit, the shepherds returned to their home country glorifying and praising God. 

Sisters and brothers, have you ever pondered the background of people that God prefers to use to accomplish something for him? If it is not yet clear to us, it should be now that God takes delight in humble and simple persons. When it comes to the privilege of announcing his coming into the world, God chose persons of humble backgrounds. The Baby King Jesus was not born by a king and a queen but by dusty couple of humble background. He was not born in an elite hospital, or a castle or palace, but in a cave. He was not born in Rome, or Athens, or Babylon or in a great cultural center, but in Bethlehem of Judea, a tiny city in the corner of the Roman Empire. After his birth, he was visited not by Caesar Augustus or Quirinius or any of prominent person but by shepherds who slept with their animals in an open field. The entire story of Christmas is that of the mighty God emptying himself, becoming vulnerable, unprotected and weak. All for the sake of humanity. As we glorify and praise God today for what he has done for us, let us remember to always do for others what God has done for our sake— humbling himself, emptying himself for the purpose of raising us all. If God can become a human being, if God can descend to our level, who then are we to carry our shoulders above that of our brothers and sisters?